LibreOffice vs. Microsoft 365

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
LibreOffice
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
LibreOffice is a free and open-source Office Suite from The Document Foundation, presented as the successor to OpenOffice.org. The suite includes Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (databases), and Math (formula editing).
$0
free and open source under the Mozilla Public License v2.0
Microsoft 365
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) is a Microsoft Cloud subscription service that includes Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access). The software can be installed across multiple devices and ensures that users always have the most up-to-date version of the included Office applications.
$5
Per User Per Month
Pricing
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Business Basic
$5.00
Per User Per Month
Individual
$5.84
*Per Month
Business - Apps
$8.25
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - F3
$10.00
Per User Per Month
Business Standard
$12.50
Per User Per Month
Business Premium
$20.00
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - E3
$32.00
Per User Per Month
Enterprise - E5
$57.00
Per User Per Month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details*When billed annually.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Considered Both Products
LibreOffice
Chose LibreOffice
Hated Microsoft and went right back to LibreOffice. The cost, the annoying way it's always nudging you to use their browser and other apps, and the evil genius of Microsoft is something we want no part of.
Chose LibreOffice
Cost and security. I trust what's on my machines, not what MS is doing with my documents.
Chose LibreOffice
LibreOffice is an easy choice if you don't have access to a free copy of Microsoft 365. LibreOffice is also much easier to use on Linux. But it does fall short in terms of collaboration with Microsoft users and consistency with advanced features such as custom Styles and …
Chose LibreOffice
Google does not offer equivalent desktop applications. Microsoft's nonprofit licensing is too complicated and their support is not really supportive of such a small organization as ours.
Chose LibreOffice
I selected LibreOffice due to cost. While we need an office software suite, we don't need the sophistication of MS Office. We used the basics of MS Office. We couldn't justify the expense when we only use a faction of the functionality.
Chose LibreOffice
In my view, Microsoft office products are very much user-friendly and well documented. However, these products are very expensive where the LibreOffice is free of cost. Also if you have a Linux platform, the best office product will be the LibreOffice. Although LibreOffice is …
Chose LibreOffice
I think it is fair to say this:
  • If you are looking for a well-rounded, GNU-licensed product that will encompass word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and database then LibreOffice is probably all you need.
  • For online collaboration, links with cloud storage, and more …
Chose LibreOffice
As noted previously, LibreOffice blows Google Docs (G Suite) out of the water in terms of singular application quality, and comes close but misses the mark as a drop-in replacement to Microsoft Office. We currently are evaluating the latest release of LibreOffice to see if we …
Chose LibreOffice
I have chosen LibreOffice for the possibilities it offers and because it allows me to save money on the licenses of other programs. Being a free program, I do not have to think about renewing licenses every year. It is a software that offers the same characteristics as other …
Chose LibreOffice
Mainly CSV and other formats compatibility, when compared to MS alternative, it's faster than cloud-based solutions (Google Docs, Zoho), I don't have to wait for MS Office to look at what I have in the cloud before saving something, its interface is better than MS Office, for …
Chose LibreOffice
I have followed and used many various office suites in the open office range of open source offerings. I still occasionally download and try one of the others just to take a look. But, I always end up making LibreOffice my choice to go with.
Chose LibreOffice
The most ubiquitous office suite now is of course, Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office offers very good tools, but is very Microsoft/Windows "centric" - understandably they want to tie users to the Microsoft/Windows universe. I'm a big proponent of open source operating systems …
Chose LibreOffice
The online docs - people often found [them] confusing and limited in what they do. LO was preferred to those though they lack the real-time collaboration features in the other documents.
Users preferred Office 2016 though support was going to go away for it so we investigated …
Chose LibreOffice
MS Office is a very good office suite but in the early days of the company spending hundreds of EUR on licenses was not the priority and the added value of MS Office at that time could not compensate the costs. Google documents are used in a limited way for a few …
Chose LibreOffice
Microsoft Products: LibreOffice is an affordable programme that is on par with Microsoft products. Unlike Microsoft, which tends to reinvent itself every couple of years and sacrifices functionality for aesthetics, LibreOffice is tried and true, sticking to the functionality …
Microsoft 365
Chose Microsoft 365
I've (minimally) looked at LibreOffice however the integration between Outlook and Exchange makes Office the simple choice when it comes to collaboration. There is simply no other product that has the functionality of collaboration.
Chose Microsoft 365
In our company we have both Office 365 and regular Office 2016. We are transitioning more to 365 for the ease of managing the licensing. We don't have to keep license cards or numbers stored anywhere because 365 uses your microsoft login which you are using anyway.
Compared to …
Chose Microsoft 365
Google Sheets is better for sharing and collaborative editing. Versioning of the same file is also one of Google Sheets strong points.
Microsoft 365 is better for working with local files. It is much easier to store the file in multiple places and backup multiple versions in …
Chose Microsoft 365
LibreOffice is great for single-users or freelancers, but for organizations Microsoft 365 provide all the components that may be required in a single and unified product.
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is in almost all cases the best option for office solutions in a professional environment. If there is a budget for software like this, I would generally recommend Microsoft Office. However, where your requirements for features are basic, you might enjoy free …
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is the de facto office suite for professionals. It's main competitor is Google's Gsuite. In comparison, M365 offers a more robust offline solution with its iconic suite of office programs with superior integration with the Windows OS. When I first started using …
Chose Microsoft 365
Compared to its competitors, Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) has more functionalities, is more integrated between applications and enables a better data document management. Its predefined templates and database connection set-ups offer better user experience. There is more …
Chose Microsoft 365
It's all about the network effect. Since everyone else at my school using Microsoft 365, eventually I had to bite the bullet and join the crowd. Using the officially supported file syncing and sharing solution solves a large number of problems right out of the box. Other …
Chose Microsoft 365
Notepad++ is a great, lightweight editor that doesn't have a same advanced features as Word, but has a very nice feel and can be better for simple text editing. Libre Office has roughly the same features as Microsoft 365, but the usability and intuitiveness is lacking. …
Chose Microsoft 365
Stability, high security, unique capabilities, speed of execution, cloud storage space, and compatibility and integration with other software has made this Microsoft product one of the best in the competitive market.
Chose Microsoft 365
MS Office 365 is more powerful than others. They provide us more advanced features. One thing is compatibility when we work with our customers and suppliers. We can exchange data in a very common format. Another thing is MS Office 365 is being updated frequently with more …
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 definitely blows the competition out of the water in regards to performance, security, updates, community support, and available features. I think that Microsoft Office 365’s only weakness would be its price point, as some of the competing products are …
Chose Microsoft 365
The main point was the integration of the tools: backup + email + text editors, all in one tool; Employees had greater difficulty creating presentations on their competitors' tools, as well as more advanced use of data sheets.
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office has a monopoly on the formats for documents, slides and spreadsheets. No wonder since Microsoft Office has a long history and has always had the best performance. The great capacity that this product has has been demonstrated and improved over the years, …
Chose Microsoft 365
Being one of the first has always had the ability to offer a universal format in addition to being the most demanded office package and the best paid, which together with its options make it indispensable.
Chose Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 simply drives through the cloud platform allowing to set a huge variety of options that can be set from custom to standard software in a single package or just to set an specific range of options enabled to the end users, and given the chance to the company …
Top Pros
Top Cons
TrustRadius Insights
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Highlights

TrustRadius
Research Team Insight
Published

Users of both LibreOffice and Microsoft 365 have found these tools useful for executing various tasks such as word processing, creating spreadsheets, and crafting presentations. A significant number of users have affirmed the efficiency of both products in creating and editing both personal and professional documents. However, while users find LibreOffice often best suited for personal use and small projects, Microsoft 365 is often preferred for more complex or collaborative tasks due to its advanced features and cloud-based sharing capabilities.

 

Reviewers have noted that LibreOffice is typically favored by those who want an open-source alternative to Microsoft Office. This product appeals to users who value its free nature, the ability to run on various platforms, and possess sufficient skills to navigate its user interface. On the other hand, customers frequently appreciate Microsoft 365 for its integrated ecosystem, which allows seamless use across devices and collaborative work thanks to a suite of programs along with cloud storage.

 

While customers value LibreOffice for its compatibility with a wide range of document formats, including those from Microsoft Office, Microsoft 365 users cite the ability to work on documents in real time with others and save them directly to the cloud as a primary advantage. While both products offer similar functionalities in terms of core office applications, Microsoft 365 is seen as more robust for enterprise-grade applications due to its capabilities for real-time collaboration and extensive format support.

Best Alternatives
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Small Businesses
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Likelihood to Recommend
9.9
(29 ratings)
8.8
(237 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(1 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
Usability
6.1
(2 ratings)
8.4
(6 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
6.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.3
(6 ratings)
8.9
(54 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(1 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Ease of integration
5.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
LibreOfficeMicrosoft 365
Likelihood to Recommend
The Document Foundation
LibreOffice is a good alternative to MS Office. I like it better than Google Docs. It's compatible with MS Office applications. However, many of the features or functions are difficult to find even when utilizing the help menu. The website isn't too helpful either. My greatest disappointment is that I paid for the premium version a year ago but never received the features that were supposed to be available with a premium subscription. The upper right-hand corner of the app shows the subscription type and date of expiration of the subscription. I have premium yet every time I try to access a premium feature it requests me to pay. I have contacted LibreOffice several times over the year and they never responded or provided a refund. I can only recommend the free version because even with a premium subscription, which mine is supposed to expire on 10/22/21 (the date of this review is 08/04/21), I have yet to be able to utilize the premium features I paid for last year. I would not use this as my primary app for Word processing which is where I am experiencing the majority of the blocked features issues. Even with a paid premium subscription, I am unable to create labels. It's asking me to pay again. I think LibreOffice has greater potential but a user must get the features they paid for. I hesitate to call the company a scam but I can say I have contacted LibreOffice numerous times over the past year about the ongoing issues and have not received a response at least once. Along with the features and subscriptions issues that needed to be addressed, another area of improvement is their website. It is very difficult to locate information. Even when using the search field the instructions often do not match the app. I am not sure how often they update their online guides but I have never found it to be helpful. I have also found it very difficult to impossible to download templates. I usually get weird links with garbled codes and no template when trying to download a template. I'm not sure if it's an issue with their site or not but since they don't respond to inquiries I cannot determine a possible cause for the problem.
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Microsoft
Microsoft 365 is well-suited for:Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs): Microsoft 365 offers a cost-effective solution for SMBs to access a suite of essential productivity tools without the need for extensive IT infrastructure. It provides a wide range of applications, allowing teams to collaborate, communicate, and manage documents efficiently.Remote Work and Collaboration: Microsoft 365's cloud-based nature makes it ideal for remote work scenarios. With tools like Microsoft Teams, employees can easily communicate, hold video conferences, and collaborate on projects in real-time, regardless of their location.Microsoft 365 may be less appropriate for:Organizations with Specific Software Requirements: Some organizations may have specialized software needs that are not met by Microsoft 365. In such cases, they may require industry-specific software or custom solutions.Limited Internet Connectivity: Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based platform, which means a stable internet connection is essential for optimal functionality. Organizations with poor internet connectivity might face challenges using the cloud-based applications effectively.
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Pros
The Document Foundation
  • The text word processing (Writer) has come a long way and, if you are able to install your corporate fonts, there is basically nothing LibreOffice cannot handle. It works very well with document reviews and comments, and it can save in a variety of formats, making it compatible with the likes of Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
  • The spreadsheet software (Calc) can also handle most of the common tasks you may need, link various sheets, and perform some automated functions quite well. It is, I must say, somewhat less complete than the word processing side (Writer).
  • The Draw program allows you to do organizational charts and basic publications very well. It was a deficit in the past, but not anymore.
Read full review
Microsoft
  • keeps me extremely organized. It is so easy to link calendars, emails, and documents.
  • keeps me well connected. It is so easy to send a quick message on teams or send an email to a group (for example, my particular team within the company).
  • easy to use. Everything is straightforward, making it easy to find an answer to a question. There is even a search option to figure out how to do something within Microsoft.
Read full review
Cons
The Document Foundation
  • Name brand office suites vendors such as Microsoft and Google have online portals where documents can be saved and shared for automation/integration. LibreOffice would do well to expand into this space.
  • Memory handling in large spreadsheets (i.e., 60k rows or more) seems a bit quirky on my Macbook Air. It might just be a memory issues, but scrolling with the trackpad behaves strangely (i.e., cell selection jumps around unexpectedly).
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Microsoft
  • Microsoft 365 really needs to work on protection part. In complex environment it is not reliable as compared to its competitors like Proofpoint. There are many instances where it fails to perform effectively.
  • In SharePoint Online the versioning feature of the document needs to be improved by Microsoft. Sometimes when we have to roll back to the previous version it does not work as expected.
  • In Teams messaging and app permission policies can be improved. There are some settings where we have to add a lot of things manually.
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Likelihood to Renew
The Document Foundation
We use it consistently and have a lot of documents in the OpenDocument format so it will be necessary to use LibreOffice or a compatible product such as Openoffice in the future to be able to open these files. Because the license fee for Libreoffice is zero it is not very costly to keep using it - the costs are mostly for keeping it installed on the office PCs and regularly updated, and solving employee issues with the user support.
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Microsoft
There are many features of Office that we cannot replicate in any other tool. Plus people know it already. It's not going away anytime soon.
Read full review
Usability
The Document Foundation
Most people can quickly start using Writer or Calc or Impress for basic tasks even if they see Libreoffice for the first time, because the interface is similar to older (97-2003) MS Office or other software. Some features are less intuitive than in recent MS Office and some power users of MS Office need to re-learn some things before being proficient in Libreoffice.
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Microsoft
The interface of the different tools (this suite has MANY different tools) is usually simple to use and intuitive, and you can always re-arrange and add or remove the task you use most frequently from the menus and task bars.
Each tool / product includes a lot of features that may require a more intensive learning, but usually Office 365 tools are simple to learn from scratch, adding more knowledge as you required more advanced features
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Reliability and Availability
The Document Foundation
Libreoffice is a desktop app not requiring any server part so it is always available when the PC is working normally. Installing it on another machine if one PC fails is very quick and easy. This is a non-issue.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Performance
The Document Foundation
For big/imported tables or text documents with images loaded from the internet it is sometimes getting very slow, RAM and CPU intensive, and sometimes even hangs due to some memory leaks or other bugs. This is a long-term problem and is still not resolved perfectly.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
The Document Foundation
Support is not officially offered. However, you can find answers to any usage questions or trouble-shooting online easily, typically starting with a Google search. (I believe that all forums / tips for OpenOffice apply equally to LibreOffice, and vice versa.) While Microsoft Office, for example, officially includes support, I find that typically you end up going to a Google search in any case. So, this is not really a downside. However, in all these cases, you end up doing a lot of figuring things out for yourself.
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Microsoft
Over the past 8 years of using Microsoft 365, I have noticed that they change vendors often. This always leads to a poor experience in the beginning, then levels out after some time for the company to get things worked out. As a customer, it is really frustrating because I don't have time when something isn't working to have them "look into my issue" and get back with me. They have even closed a ticket I specifically told them to keep open. Your applications are only as good as the support.
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Implementation Rating
The Document Foundation
Generally easy to perform, issues are how to ensure regular automatic updates on Mac OS X. Fortunatly we have only a few machines with OS X run by management and we can do these updates manually occasionally. Windows updates are quite easy with the support of third party software such as Ninite or Chocolatey, and Linux updates are super-easy thanks to the package manager (apt-get).
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Microsoft
Everything works and I use it all the time.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
The Document Foundation
As noted previously, LibreOffice blows Google Docs (G Suite) out of the water in terms of singular application quality, and comes close but misses the mark as a drop-in replacement to Microsoft Office. We currently are evaluating the latest release of LibreOffice to see if we can replace Microsoft Office with it entirely as we've had more time to fill in the holes that were left when losing out on Outlook and OneNote and all of the integrations that come with Microsoft Office.
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Microsoft
Google Sheets is better for sharing and collaborative editing. Versioning of the same file is also one of Google Sheets strong points.
Microsoft 365 is better for working with local files. It is much easier to store the file in multiple places and backup multiple versions in multiple places.
LibreOffice is free but the usage is much counter intuitive than Microsoft Office. OpenOffice is worse when it comes to UI.
Microsoft Excel's performance with larger files is much better. When opening huge files, excel loads it asynchronously and I can start working right away.
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Scalability
The Document Foundation
With more users using it in the company there are more cases when a simultaneous editing of the same document is needed and this feature is lacking in Libreoffice even though the files concerned are shared and synced by some solution (we use ownCloud). Google Docs or MS Office365 via Sharepoint/Onedrive offer a better function for this.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
The Document Foundation
  • A lot of ROI because their license price, 100% of return.
  • Sometimes we lose time finding how to do things, lowering a little bit of productivity.
  • We need to spend on training for employees because most people only know how to use Microsoft Office
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Microsoft
  • Positively, it has increased productivity and efficiency in creating templates and being able to systemize some of the protocols we are working on putting into place.
  • It has been a positive as well as most individuals and companies that we associate with also use MicroSoft 365 and therefore there is no need to have formats change in our documents when they open them up using another type of program.
  • Getting work done quickly.... One and Done!!!
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